Is this not the essential theme of our prayer, both at home or away form home; privately or publicly? In our heart of hearts we are constantly asking ourselves the question: ‘How will this bring me closer to realizing God’s desire for my happiness?’ Yes, we do not intentionally think about this in everything we do, but unspokenly, this is what our hearts cry out: ‘Abba, Father!’

Like Mother used to tell us kinds, ‘God has a plan for each of you, and if you pray he will reveal it to you in time.’ Of course this takes faith, trust, and many times abandonment. Do we hold to that promise of after we leave prayer at home?

It is easy to slip back into our natural ways of thinking after we leave our quiet times of prayer. We desire to please God when we head into the world daily. We have good intentions. We want to keep tha faith alive in our hearts, that feeling of Peace that Christ has given to us in his word. What do we do when we are challenged? ‘Abide in Me,’ is Jesus words to us.

‘There is a story of a little boy who went to his Father in the den of there homewhere his Father was working. He wanted to play, but seeing his Father busy his heart grew fearful. Sure enough, the Father was busy, but didn’t want to discourage the son, so he took one of the magazines on his desk, tore out a picture of world in one of them and gave it to the son. The little boy was happy for a second, and went off to play. Just shortly after the Father had sent the son off, the little boy returned with a big smile on his face, ‘Daddy, I’m fininshed,’ he joyfully exclaimed. Of course the Father was excited, but also a little fatigued that his son had put together the picture of the world so quickly. When asked in amazement how the little one had done this so quickly, his son replied that he noticed that on the opposite side of the world there were parts of a man’ body: arms, legs, head. He realized that if he could put together the man then the world would be put together rights as well. The Father was truly amazed at the wisdom of the little one.’ We are that man, and it is this world we live in.

We too can put the world together right if we are right. We can only put ourselves together right when we have faith. With faith we can surmount any challenge the world has to offer” ‘it is this faith of ours that has overcome the world.’ (St. John) One Christian prays this way when hehas a difficult choice to make. He ‘first looks at all the choices, and asks the Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide him to the right choice.’ We, too, can ask the Holy Spirit, God’s love in our hearts, to guide usto the right choice in our daily lives. We can be sure of a hearing and a response. Then we shall be able to cling to Peace, the Peace that the world cannot give.

Remembering that whether at home or away from home, we are constantly guided by theSpirit of God, who lives in our hearts, and desires for us to stay every close to Him. We can count on that loving Spirit to guide us thru those choices which will benefit our path to remain united to the Peaec of Christ.

-- by Clinton R. LeFort

E-mail comments to the author at:  c_lefort@pacbell.net